After a little while longer of trying things out with Curtis, Jackie and Andy seemed pretty content and began to shake everyone’s hand goodbye. I watched Jackie as he shook Curtis’s hand, Bronco’s hand, and the riggers’ hands. He even shook hands with the friends of the people involved who didn’t even do anything! He shook everyone’s hand…well almost everyone’s…then he started making his way back to where I was sitting. My heart skipped a beat, was this…was this really happening?? He shook Master Chang’s hand and then JJ’s hand and then, it happened in slow motion…he turned to me and extended his hand.
In that split second it took for him to turn to me I froze, I didn’t know what to do, but then when he extended his hand something in my brain went, “SHAKE HIS HAND YOU IDIOT!” and without even telling my hand to, it shot out and grabbed his!
“You Chinese?” he asked. JACKIE CHAN HAD JUST ASKED ME A QUESTION!!! I can die now I thought.
“Yes,” I replied. He stood there looking at me, waiting for what I’d say next! I couldn’t believe this was happening! What could he possibly want to talk to a nobody like me about? It clicked that I should speak to him in Chinese.
“uhh…how long are in Toronto for?” I stammered.
“Just a few days, I leave soon to shoot a movie for a month then I will come back here to film another movie. How long have you been here?” Apparently my Mandarin was good enough that Jackie thought I was from China!
“I was born in Toronto,” I replied bashfully.
“Oh, okay. I have to go now but I will be back in Toronto in a month, when I come back we’ll talk.” He shook my hand, motioned to his entourage, and walked out.
“WE’LL TALK!?!?” What the hell did that mean?!?! Was Jackie Chan considering me for something?? Was this my chance at stardom?! Was my life going to change?
After Jackie and his people left Master Chang came to me and asked what Jackie and I talked about. I recounted the conversation and a simple, “Good for you,” was his response. We started packing up and got ready to leave. I shook hands with all of the riggers and Bronco who simply said, “Good work, hope to see you again sometime,”
Master Chang was the final one to shake my hand, and said, “Well you have quite a story to tell! Go home and I’ll be in touch,”
“Yes sir, thank you sir.” I replied nervously, unsure of what “I’ll be in touch,” meant.
As I drove home with all of these thoughts racing through my head, the voice of reason suddenly came through. “Bah, he probably says that to every wannabe stuntman, you not only met Jackie Chan, but you had a conversation with him! That’s good enough. Time to come back down to reality.” And I did. It was only a little after two and I still had the rest of the day free. So I went to the gym filled with energy! You’d be bouncing off the walls too if you not only shook hands with, but had a conversation with JACKIE CHAN himself!
I got home and even before I took one step through my door my sister rushed down the stairs and said, “Jackie Chan’s office called! JACKIE CHAN’S OFFICE CALLED!! Call them back! CALL THEM BACK!!” and handed me a piece of paper with a phone number on it.
